Antron Brown

Antron Brown (born March 1, 1976) is an American drag racer, currently driving the Matco Tools Top Fuel dragster for Don Schumacher Racing in NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series. He is known for winning 2012, 2015 and 2016 Top Fuel championships. Antron is the sport's first Black American champion.[3][4]

Antron Brown
Brown signing autographs in 2010
NationalityAmerican
Born (1976-03-01) March 1, 1976
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.
NHRA Top Fuel career
Current teamDon Schumacher Racing
Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragster
Years active1998-present
Car number6 (2019)
Crew chiefMark Oswald
Former teamsDavid Powers Motorsports
Team 23 Racing
Championships3 (TF)
Wins66 (50 TF, 16 PSM)
Fastest laps
Previous series
Pro Stock Motorcycle
Championship titles
2012, 2015, 20163 (Top Fuel Dragster)
Last updated on: February 11, 2019.

Early life

Brown lived in Trenton, New Jersey until age six, when his family moved to his grandmother's 10-acre farm in rural Chesterfield Township, New Jersey following the death of his grandfather.[5] His father Albert ran a septic tank service, and was a drag racer at the sportsman level. Antron maintained the cars as a child and began racing motorcycles at age six and motocross at age 12, practicing on a course he built on the farm. He ran his first competitive drag race as a high school senior.[5][6]

Brown studied at Northern Burlington County Regional High School before becoming a track star at Mercer County Community College in New Jersey as a sprinter and long jumper, graduating in 1997 with an associate's degree in business administration. After being offered a full scholarship to run track for Long Island University, he was contacted by football player Troy Vincent (married to Brown's cousin) who was starting a racing team.[7]

Racing career

Brown raced in the NHRA's Pro Stock Motorcycle division from 1998 to 2007, running his first three years with Vincent's Team 23 Racing. Brown won 16 events in the motorcycle division, and had a best finish of 2nd in points in 2001 and 2006.[6] In 2008 he switched to Top Fuel dragsters.[7] Brown won the Top Fuel championship in 2012, 2015 and 2016.[4]

Personal life

Brown currently resides in Pittsboro, Indiana with his wife Billie Jo and three children, Anson, Adler, and Arianna.[6] He is also an extremely devout Christian.[8]

Brown had an appearance as an appraiser in episode 8 ("The Fast and The Curious") of the third season of the A&E reality show Storage Wars.[9][10] He also appeared in episode 3 of Idris Elba: No Limits as Elba's drag racing instructor. He now co-hosts Top Gear America with Tom Ford and William Fichtner.

References
  1. "NHRA KICKS OFF WESTERN SWING THIS WEEKEND AND THREE-TIME CHAMPION BROWN HOPES TO SWEEP FOR THE SECOND TIME WITH MATCO TOOLS TEAM". Don Schumacher Racing. July 19, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  2. "NHRA Arizona Nationals Saturday Qualifying Results, Sunday Elimination pairings". Auto Week. February 24, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  3. Geiger, Rob (November 26, 2012). "First Timers". Autoweek. 62 (24): 68–69. ISSN 0192-9674.
  4. "Brown & Enders Lock Up Championships". National Speed Sport News. Turn 3 Media LLC. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  5. Caldwell, Dave. "Sprinter Turned Driver Is a Quick Study in Acceleration", The New York Times, August 30, 2009. Accessed November 26, 2013. "Brown, a 33-year-old native of Chesterfield, N.J., could become the first African-American to win a major N.H.R.A. championship.... Brown lived in Trenton until he was 6. When his grandfather died, his family moved to his grandmother’s 10-acre farm in Chesterfield, in the rural part of Burlington County."
  6. "ABOUT ANTRON BROWN: Matco Tools Top Fuel Dragste". [www.shoeracing.com Don Schumacher Racing]. Don Schumacher Racing. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  7. Hoppes, Lynn (November 30, 2012). "Antron Brown's path to history wasn't easy". ESPN Playbook. ESPN. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
  8. "Biography – Antron Brown Racing". Retrieved 2020-04-08.
  9. Antron Brown (official site), BARRY WEISS, A&E’S ‘STORAGE WARS’ HEAD TO LAS VEGAS SEEKING HELP FROM ANTRON BROWN DURING NHRA EVENT, March 28, 2012, Retrieved Sep. 4, 2019.
  10. Don Schumacher Racing, 2012 Shoe's News (newsletter), Retrieved Sep. 4, 2019.
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